J322Y
Contributor
Hi all. Prepare for dumb questions that have been answered 10,000 times! 
No really, I promise to use the search function first....
I've been fascinated by underwater life since I was a kid. Been dating a long time diver for 5 years and finally decided to join her underwater.
I was hooked the first time I drew a breath through a regulator. Didn't matter that I was in an indoor pool...
Even though I'm new to diving I came up with an analogy for sharing the experience with non-diver friends who wonder why I got so into it so quickly. Please tell me if I captured the feeling:
Imagine that you're out hiking in nature. There are interesting plants and animals to see, many of which are beautiful, and some which can also be dangerous. You brought binoculars to see birds up close, and maybe a few large apex predators in the distance, hopefully not too close. Now imagine you're underwater where there is also a wide variety of flora and fauna, however now you can get relatively close to the animals. Instead of hundreds of meters between you and large predators there might only be a few meters or even less. Instead of hoping to catch a glimpse of exotic birds hiding in the trees, you enjoy beautiful fish and other swimming creatures all around you, often close enough to touch (not that you should). Maybe this explains why nature lovers, who are willing to breathe bottled air, go to great lengths to get underwater, where humans rarely go.
No really, I promise to use the search function first....
I've been fascinated by underwater life since I was a kid. Been dating a long time diver for 5 years and finally decided to join her underwater.
I was hooked the first time I drew a breath through a regulator. Didn't matter that I was in an indoor pool...
Even though I'm new to diving I came up with an analogy for sharing the experience with non-diver friends who wonder why I got so into it so quickly. Please tell me if I captured the feeling:
Imagine that you're out hiking in nature. There are interesting plants and animals to see, many of which are beautiful, and some which can also be dangerous. You brought binoculars to see birds up close, and maybe a few large apex predators in the distance, hopefully not too close. Now imagine you're underwater where there is also a wide variety of flora and fauna, however now you can get relatively close to the animals. Instead of hundreds of meters between you and large predators there might only be a few meters or even less. Instead of hoping to catch a glimpse of exotic birds hiding in the trees, you enjoy beautiful fish and other swimming creatures all around you, often close enough to touch (not that you should). Maybe this explains why nature lovers, who are willing to breathe bottled air, go to great lengths to get underwater, where humans rarely go.
